PURPOSE: Family Entertainment + Faith Based Summit

Variety is pleased to announce its summit: PURPOSE – Family Entertainment & Faith-Based Summit, in association with Rogers & Cowan, on June 21 at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills. This marks the return of our popular event dedicated to the growth of family entertainment and faith-based programming. PURPOSE will feature leaders at studios, networks, digital media hubs, and brands who are succeeding in the family and faith-based entertainment space. Storytelling innovators will also share what content is best connecting with today’s audiences.

Families are especially sensitive to the content they watch together. They hope to shield their children from age-inappropriate materials for many reasons. Key experts will explore the growing sensitivities of parents in content selection, the trends of studios and producers to create family-friendly content and the marketing challenges and opportunities.

Hollywood studio chiefs will explore the latest commercial opportunities for family entertainment. With the current studio trend of building special-effects heavy franchises – where does the family genre fit into the development pipeline? What is that state of audience demand for family content – through theatrical and home entertainment platforms? Which projects are connecting most strongly with audiences?

There is strong demand for faith-based content – but what is critical to continue to grow this marketplace? Producers are working to expand into new faith-based subjects, such as thrillers and comedies. As the genre evolves, what are key elements to achieve success– talent, storyline, authenticity? What is the right amount of ‘faith’ to put into a ‘faith-based’ project? Is it necessarily important to work towards mainstream cross-over potential? Or is there ample opportunity in targeting faith-based content to faith-based audiences? Top entertainment chiefs will analyze the best way to grow the marketplace for faith-based film, TV and digital media.

1:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. Family and Faith-Based: TV and Movies Everywhere

Rentrak will review the trends for mainstream and faith-focused content within the family, entertainment and faith-focused networks and theatrical releases they measure. They will look at live ratings, DVR playback, box office results, demographics and audience reach.

A look at the companies involved in bringing family-friendly movies back to primetime, spanning corporate, programming, production & network partnerships. How are the partners creating dynamic stories that families will want to watch together? What has been the response of audiences and partners with the first release, Return to Nim’s Island? What comes next?

2:15 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. Parents, Kids and Second Screen – How Families Watch Now

Advancing technology is transforming the ways families watch content – as parents and kids enjoy on-demand and streaming options on increasing numbers of devices. Top digital distribution chiefs, service providers, and technology partners will analyze how they are striving to better connect with families’ new viewing patterns. How are we using technology to enhance the family viewing experience? How is the current and next generation of storytellers, filmmakers, and content producers adjusting to the advancing technology?

2:50 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
How to Succeed in Faith-Based Films Without Losing Your Wallet
According to Movieguide’s economic report to the industry

Presented by Ted Baehr, CEO of Movieguide

3:00 p.m. to 3:40 p.m. The Emergence of the Mainstream/Faith-Based TV Success – What Comes Next?

There have been a number of break-out shows featuring characters and storylines where faith takes a central role, such as weTV’s Mary Mary and Game Show Network’s American Bible Challenge. History Channel’s, The Bible series hit and exceeded this mark – might this open the doors to like-minded programming? What are strategies around creating broadly appealing faith-based and faith-friendly hits? How are new digital distribution platforms, such as YouTube, Netflix and Hulu expanding opportunities to create and distribute faith-based content? Top entertainment and digital chiefs explore how they are developing and marketing content today for the faith-based audience.

Moderated by:
Michael Van Dyck, Agent at Paradigm

Confirmed Speakers:Amy Introcaso-Davis, EVP Programming and Development at Game Show Network
Charlie Jordan Brookins, SVP, Original Programming at BET Networks
Adrienne O’Riain, Director of Drama Development, TNT
Tom Forman, CEO of Relativity Television
Barbara Fisher, SVP, Original Programming, UP

3:40 p.m. to 3:50 p.m. Networking Break

3:50 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Building Inspired Content – Finance, Production and Marketing

In today’s marketplace, what is the state of financing, producing and launching projects that feature spiritual, inspirational and faith-based messages? Who are the major players that are backing these projects – what criteria are they looking for before supporting them? How might such content be tied to cause and charitable activities to attract audience interest? Leaders behind inspiring and faith-based content will talk about the mechanics of their business.

What is driving the creativity for successful storytellers – spanning broad entertainment and faith-friendly and faith-based topics? At the same time, how might storytellers’ personal convictions impact how they are working in this business? Leading creative talent will share how they are achieving in this business today.